What is Anamnesis?

Since no one else has answered, I'll give it a try, but my Greek is beyond rusty. I must resort to reference books.

Basically, it is an unassisted (personal) remembrance. "Ana" is referrencing "up" and "again," "mnesis" referring to remembering or calling to mind, a wakening of the mind. It is a recollection associated in some way with affection.

 

From my Vines Complete ExpositoryDictionary of Old and New Testament Words:
quotepage 521)

1A:verbs. mimnesko, from the older form mnaomai, in the active voice signifies "to remind"; in the middle voice, "to remind oneself of", hence "to remember, to be mindful of"; the later form is found only in the present tense, in Heb.2:6 "are mindful of", andd 13:3, "remember"; the perfect tense in 1 Cor. 11:2 and in 2 tim. 1:4 RV "that He might remember" (KJV, "in rememberance of"); 2 Peter 3:2 "remember" (KJV, be mindful of); Rev.16:19 (passive voice) "was remembered" (KJV, "came in remembrance "). The passive voice is also used in Acts 10:31, KJV and RV, "are had in rememberance" also see Mindful of (to be)

and Page 522 1B Nouns.
anamnesis: " a rememberance" (ana, "up" or "gain" and A, No.1), is used

a) in Christ's command in the institution of the Lord's Supper, Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24, 25, not "in memory of" but in an affectionionate calling of the Person Himself to mind;

b)of the "rememberance" of sins, Heb.10:3, RV "a rememberance" (KJV a rememberance again"); but the prefix ana does not here signify "again"); what is indicated, in regard to the sacrifices under the Law, is not simply an external bringing to "rememberance" but an awakening of mind.

In the Sept., Lev.24:7l Num10:10; Pss. 38 and 70, Titles.

Hope this helps

Blessings

Sheila

 

Remembrance- Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” The Greek word for remembrance, anamnesis, does not mean simply psychologically recalling. Enlightenment rationalistic assumptions have clouded many an interpretation of Jesus’ words here. Rather, the word “anamnesis” means to bring the past into the present; the past enters into the present. In the Eucharist, we truly “live into” Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, not merely mentally recalling them.

 

Well in the posts above - one of the verses sited dealing with the Lord's Supper is 1Cor 11. But notice what it says "For as often as you drink this cup and eat this bread you do show the Lord's Death until He comes".

This is a memorial of the death of Christ.

And in Hebrews 10 we are told that it is the death of Christ that "puts an end to sacrifice and offering".

Instead of a "continual sacrifice" - it was done once "for all time" as Hebrews 10 says.

The memorial service then - is the Lords Supper and it is done "in rememberance" of the death of Christ.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Heb 10 reviewed --

Christ takes away the first in order to establish the second. Mankind no longer has anything to “offer” by way of sacrifice in our worship service.

10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Those who argue that unless Christ is offered “continually” we are not sanctified through the offering of His body – are missing this key point. It is “ONCE” for all – offered “once for all” and that is why we can have faith that we are in fact sanctified through it. IF we had to continually offer the sacrifice we would have the same problem as the OT service.


11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;
12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,
One “Sacrifice for the sins of ALL time” – and it was offered – by Christ Himself – not by man or by 1000’s of priests coming after Christ.
Those humans that choose to stand daily offering the “same sacrifice” are offering that which can “never take away sins” for they are denying the ONE sacrifice by denying the “ONE offering” offered “ONCE for all time”.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Of course, it was the rise of humanism in the Middle Ages that lead many Protestants to embrace 'Memorialism', a view not-seen in Christendom throughout it's first 1500 years...

 

You see? It is "not what you eat that saves you".

The idea that "rememberance" did not enter in as the theme for the Lord's supper until the Middle Ages would be hard to support based on this NT text - long before the Middle Ages.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Thanks for pointing out that the Christ's atonement is a Once for ALL, NEVER TO BE REPEATED payment for the sins of the world.

Even so, it appears, according to the popular stories now circulating in some circles, that the Jews are fully preparing to once again initiate blood sacrifice once the Temple is restored in Jerusalem. Talk about hardening of the heart, and mind!

And Yes, it is rememberance of who and what the Christ is and what he did for man that we remember in the celebration of Communion. It is a "refreshing in the mind and spirit" of those who believe in the Christ, that the Christ is the Sacrificial Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world.